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Tuesday, May 25, 2004

International

International

Pentagon strategy flawed: ex-General

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, MAY 24. The former head of the United States Central Command has lashed out at the Pentagon for pursuing a flawed strategy in Iraq and has said that he is surprised that no heads have rolled thus far.

"Somebody has screwed up. And at this level and at this stage it should be evident to everybody that they have screwed up. And whose heads are rolling on this? That's what bothers me most," the retired Marine General, Antony Zinni, said on CBS' "60 Minutes."

Gen. Zinni who stepped down from the top post in the Central Command in 2000 stressed that the planning for the Iraq war and its aftermath had been flawed from the start, but did not go to the extent of naming the Secretary of Defence, Donald Rumsfeld, for the current state of affairs.

Gen. Zinni made the point that prior to his retirement his plan for an invasion of Iraq called for sending in 300,000 troops or about twice of the current levels of around 135,000.

"I think there was dereliction in insufficient forces being put on the ground and (not in) fully understanding the military dimensions of the plan," Gen. Zinni remarked.

"If you are the Secretary of Defence and you are responsible for that. If you are responsible for that planning and that execution on the ground. If you have assumed responsibility for the other elements, non-military, non-security, political, economic and social and everything else, then you bear responsibility," Gen. Zinni said.

"Certainly those in your ranks that foisted this strategy on us that is flawed. Certainly they ought to be gone and replaced," the retired Marine General remarked.

"If I were the Commander of the military organisation that delivered this kind of performance to the President, I certainly would tender my resignation. I certainly would expect to be gone," he said.

The four star General argued that it was time to change course in Iraq and that "somebody" must be held responsible for what has taken place.

"The course is headed over Niagara Falls. I think it is time to change course a little bit or at least hold somebody responsible for putting you on this course. Because it is been a failure," Gen. Zinni maintained.

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